Animal Ethics in Context

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Animals, Animals Rights, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Ethics & Moral Philosophy
Cover of the book Animal Ethics in Context by Clare Palmer, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Clare Palmer ISBN: 9780231503020
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: September 23, 2010
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Clare Palmer
ISBN: 9780231503020
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: September 23, 2010
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

It is widely agreed that because animals feel pain we should not make them suffer gratuitously. Some ethical theories go even further: because of the capacities that they possess, animals have the right not to be harmed or killed. These views concern what not to do to animals, but we also face questions about when we should, and should not, assist animals that are hungry or distressed. Should we feed a starving stray kitten? And if so, does this commit us, if we are to be consistent, to feeding wild animals during a hard winter?

In this controversial book, Clare Palmer advances a theory that claims, with respect to assisting animals, that what is owed to one is not necessarily owed to all, even if animals share similar psychological capacities. Context, history, and relation can be critical ethical factors. If animals live independently in the wild, their fate is not any of our moral business. Yet if humans create dependent animals, or destroy their habitats, we may have a responsibility to assist them. Such arguments are familiar in human cases-we think that parents have special obligations to their children, for example, or that some groups owe reparations to others. Palmer develops such relational concerns in the context of wild animals, domesticated animals, and urban scavengers, arguing that different contexts can create different moral relationships.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

It is widely agreed that because animals feel pain we should not make them suffer gratuitously. Some ethical theories go even further: because of the capacities that they possess, animals have the right not to be harmed or killed. These views concern what not to do to animals, but we also face questions about when we should, and should not, assist animals that are hungry or distressed. Should we feed a starving stray kitten? And if so, does this commit us, if we are to be consistent, to feeding wild animals during a hard winter?

In this controversial book, Clare Palmer advances a theory that claims, with respect to assisting animals, that what is owed to one is not necessarily owed to all, even if animals share similar psychological capacities. Context, history, and relation can be critical ethical factors. If animals live independently in the wild, their fate is not any of our moral business. Yet if humans create dependent animals, or destroy their habitats, we may have a responsibility to assist them. Such arguments are familiar in human cases-we think that parents have special obligations to their children, for example, or that some groups owe reparations to others. Palmer develops such relational concerns in the context of wild animals, domesticated animals, and urban scavengers, arguing that different contexts can create different moral relationships.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book Love and War by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book "How Come Boys Get to Keep Their Noses?" by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Uneven Moments by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Truth, Errors, and Lies by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Rising Sun, Divided Land by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Religion, Theory, Critique by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book A Search for Belonging by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Craving Earth by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book From Ritual to Record by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Opening NATO's Door by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Speaking for Buddhas by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Essays on the Essay Film by Clare Palmer
Cover of the book Shivers Down Your Spine by Clare Palmer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy